On Royce's map the trail is indicated from Virginia southward. Starting
from the junction of Moccasin creek with the North fork of Holston,
just above the Tennessee state line, it crosses the latter river from
the east side at its mouth or junction with the South fork, just below
Kingsport or the Long island; then follows down along the west side
of the Holston, crossing Big creek at its mouth, and crossing to the
south (east) side of Holston at Dodson's creek; thence up along the
east side of Dodson's creek and across Big Gap creek, following it for
a short distance and continuing southwest, just touching Nolichucky,
passing up the west side of Long creek of that stream and down the
same side of Dumplin creek, and crossing French Broad just below the
mouth of the creek; thence up along the west side of Boyd's creek to
its head and down the west side of Ellejoy creek to and across Little
river; thence through the present Maryville to cross Little Tennessee
at the entrance of Tellico river, where old Fort Loudon was built;
thence turning up along the south side of Little Tennessee river to
Echota, the ancient capital, and then southwest across Tellico river
along the ridge between Chestua and Canasauga creeks, and crossing
the latter near its mouth to strike Hiwassee river at the town of
the same name; thence southwest, crossing Ocoee river near its mouth,
passing south of Cleveland, through the present Ooltewah and across
Chickamauga creek into Georgia and Alabama.
According to Timberlake (Memoirs, with map, 1765), the trail crossed
Little Tennessee from Echota, northward, in two places, just above and
below Four-mile creek, the first camping place being at the junction
of Ellejoy creek and Little river, at the old town site. It crossed
Holston within a mile of Fort Robinson.
According to Hutching (Topographical Description of America, p. 24,
1778), the road which went through Cumberland gap was the one taken by
the northern Indians in their incursions into the "Cuttawa" country,
and went from Sandusky, on Lake Erie, by a direct path to the mouth of
Scioto (where Portsmouth now is) and thence across Kentucky to the gap.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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